The pandemic might have caused many businesses to close, but many hardware businesses weathered the storm and continued to operate. One reason for this resilience might be the increase in home improvement projects across the country. Some stores have also shifted to selling online to connect with their market.
The situation might have gotten better more than a year after the health crisis started. With state restrictions lifted, people started dining out and shopping in physical stores. Hardware stores can benefit from the situation by implementing measures to attract customers even in the middle of the pandemic. Here are some tips that hardware stores can consider to increase their revenues.
Make the Store Safe for Customers
The first thing that hardware stores should do is to make the store safe for their customers. While many people are moving around, they are still wary of the virus. The emergence of new variants is also not helpful, especially the delta variant fueling the recent surge in cases across the country.
Business owners should ensure the store is clean and disinfected. If possible, have all employees vaccinated. The store should also require their employees to wear masks and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines when it comes to health and safety standards in the store.
Keep a Suitable Inventory of Products
Aside from keeping the store clean, hardware store owners should also make sure they have a wide array of products available for their customers. They should make sure they are well-stocked, and they monitor the inventory to ensure they have an idea about the popular products. When inventory levels go down, they should order more to beef up their stocks.
Store owners can ensure that they do not run out of products in their inventory by working with bannersolutions.com. The company has a wide selection of residential and commercial hardware supplies that the store owner can choose from. It also provides excellent customer service so that they can meet the needs of their clients.
Increase the Online Presence of the Store
Aside from its physical store, hardware owners should also continue selling online. With more people going online for their needs, business owners should continue to increase their online presence. They should work to make their online stores appear on relevant searches.
They can set up a Google My Business account to increase their online and offline presence. Business owners can also set up business listings on Facebook, Yelp, and other similar platforms. They should make sure to provide all the relevant information about their store, including the name, contact details, address, and operating hours.
The business owners can also upload visual content showing the products they are offering. Providing a virtual tour of the physical location can also encourage customers to visit the store. Adding reviews can increase the trustworthiness of the store and encourage customers to buy.
Use a Click-and-Collect Strategy
Business owners can also implement a click-and-collect strategy where customers buy the products online and pass by the store to pick up their purchases. With this strategy, the hardware can upsell some products related to what the customer purchased. It increases online traffic and in-store sales if the customer buys something else when he picks up what he purchased online.
Have Realistic Sales Targets
Even as hardware stores aim to increase revenue, they should also be realistic with their targets. The current economic situation compelled people to focus on their basic needs. Even though the US economic recovery is gaining momentum, it might take a while before everything goes back to normal.
So, business owners should adjust the sales targets to make them suitable for the situation. This allows the employees to remain motivated as they aim to meet these adjusted targets. The business owner can monitor the performance of the employees and provide positive reinforcement to motive them.
Use a Mobile Ordering System
Business owners can also use a mobile ordering system. Even though restaurants are the primary users of the system, retailers can also use the system to sell their products in the market. To facilitate the system, the hardware store can create an app that customers can download into their smartphones.
The app will show the available products, and customers can order and pay for their purchases. After processing the payment, the customer can either pick up the order or have it delivered to his location. The system facilitates purchases and provides the store another channel to receive orders from their customers.
The hardware business remained resilient during the pandemic and will continue to serve the needs of its customers until everything goes back to normal.
